Contempt of Knowledge
by FEARLESS MASTER
Summary: Inspired by scoterr2's Forbidden Love. Here's my own spin on the teacher/student plotline. Emily/OC. AU. Please review! Rating May change.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello everyone. Here is my next Revenge fanfic.

I would like to extend humble thanks to scoterr2, the author of the underrated _Forbidden Love_ fic. You are a genius! Your fic inspired me to write this one, which follows a similar premise. The differences being that instead of a Emily x Victoria pairing, my fic follows an OC named Fearless (modelled after myself of course.) who ventures to the Hamptons to attend college. There he falls head over heels for Professer Emily Thorne.

Though there are differences in characters, I feel it appropriate to give credit where credit is due. Thank you again scoterr2 for the inspiration.

Contempt of Knowledge

Fearless sighed heavily as the sounds of Dream Theater's The Glass Prison erupted. His cell's alarm, 6 A.M. He stood slowly from his bed and shuffled around the room aimlessly for a few seconds, his fragile dreamscape refusing to fade. He splashed water from the bathroom sink onto his face, which brought him into reality enough for him to remember what day it was.

He sprang into action almost instantly, not bothering to check if the hot water heater had started, the frigid coolness water that rained from the shower head calmed his nerves. As he hecticly dashed through his morning routine, devouring a piece of toast in as little as ten seconds. He grabbed his Ipod and a pair of ear buds from the speaker in the corner of his bedroom and dashed from the house.

Though he was still on edge, he thought it best to tune into music, as he most often did on early morning runs. He shuffled through his extensive music library before selecting a song he knew would get his blood pumping.

"Give me fuel, give me fire, give me that which I desire!" He sang along with James Hetfield as he sprinted along the regular path he took. His pulse rose with each step, so much that he could feel prespiration threaten to form at his brow. "Oh no, not today." he whispered to himself as he reached his destination.

A grandoise building stood before him, large and imposing. He took in three deep breaths as several people began to roam around him towards the building's doors. "Well, it's now or never," he told himself before striking as cool a stance as he could and marching through the doors.

He had already received a sound schedule and several messages by phone. His freshman college term had begun. He smiled as he confidently strolled to Room 17. Philosphy. By the time he reached for the doorknob, the sounds in his ears had changed from Metallica's _Fuel_ to _One._ "Hold my breath as I wish for death," he sang softly along as the door opened.

A blond woman whose hair was pulled into a bun smiled at Fearless, who was the only person left in the hall. She wore a black dress that stopped just above her ankles. _Beautiful, but a little inappropriate for an educational environment,_ Fearless thought.

The woman smiled sweetly and cleared her throat, "Hi," she extended her hand. Fearless breathlessly exchanged plesantries with her before stopping in his tracks. "You're taking Philosphy too?" The woman smirked, "No." She responded flatly, "I'm Professor Emily Thorne. Come in and take a seat." I quickly turned into the room, "Name's Fearless." I whispered

As I walked further into the room, I realized I had missed the last lyric of the song. As an extended guitar solo rang in my ears I spoke the missing words. My tone bled the fluttering in my heart.

"Oh please God, wake me!"

A/N: Okay everyone. Any reviews would be appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hello everyone. I'm back again with the next installment of Contempt of Knowledge. Thank you to the guest review for the opening chapter. Let us proceed.

The music in Fearless' ears was constantly shifting; light to heavy, simple to progressive. His mind wandered briefly in the first moments in the room. As several others filled the space around him, chatting indriscriminately about mundane subjects, he stared straight ahead. His head bobbed now and then softly,

When he saw Professor Thorne step in front of the group, he gently pulled one of the buds from his ears, taking with it half of the melody of the current song.

"Attention everyone," Emily clapped for silence, "Welcome to Philosphy 101. I'm Professor Thorne. If you feel so comfortable, you may address me as Miss Emily. Now, let's breifly introduce ourselves." Emily kept her tone professional, but a dainty smile crept onto her face as the students rose and spoke their names. There was Nolan Ross, who looked as if he were taking a college course just for fun. Next to him was Charolette Grayson and her brother Daniel. Rounding out the eccentric group was a sweet faced girl named Ashley Davenport. Fearless took instant notice of her accent and smiled as eyes fell on him.

Fearless stood up confidently, letting the lone bud dangle from his shirt collar. "Name's Fearless. I've got a birth name, but let's leave it at Fearless, alright?" He coolly waved and sank back into his chair. He was startled momentarily when he looked up and saw Emily in front of him. "What are you listening to?" She raised a curious eyebrow. Fearless chuckled, "Dream Theater's Images and Words, more specifically _Pull Me Under._ " His breath hitched as Emily leaned down to examine the Ipod,her cleaveage clearly visible from his vantage point.

"Pull Me Under. One of my favorites. Can you explain to the class what the song is about?" Her eyes sparkled with amusement. Fearless stood and shuffled his way to a podium in the middle of the room. "To be completely honest,when I first got into Dream Theater, it was specifically because of the music. That was before I really listened to the words that were being told to me. Take Pull Me Under for instance, the band's biggest hit commercially but so deep lyrically. It tells the story of Shakesphere's _Hamlet,_ a clever methaphor for Hamlet's quest for revenge."

He motioned for Emily to approach him, pointing from his Ipod to the computer speaker on her desk. "As Professor Thorne is about to play for you, there is an even greater example of philosphy in Metropolis Part 1: The Miracle and The Sleeper," He signaled for total silence as the sounds of chiming sleigh bells filled the room. As the song progressed, Fearless waved his hands as though he were a conducter for a symphony. "If you dream of the next world, you'll find yourself swimming in a lake of fire!" He sang along.

He stopped singing and chuckled lightly, "That particular line, in this song about two people who are telepathically connected, insinuates that the lies we tell others and ourselves affect everything around us. Take the three Dances explained in the lyrics, Death, Deceit and finally love. Interpret them as you will. But all three are interconnected, as even our destinies sometimes cross paths unexpectantly." Fearless retrieved his music player and stepped back up to the podium as the bell sounded.

He let out a long sigh. As the others paseed him on their way out of the door, their eyes were fixed on his. He could read their emotions clear as day, Awe, amazement and in some cases longing. He scrambled to collect his bag. He was taken aback when Emily closed the door before him.

"Fearless, sit down. We need to talk." Fearless shrugged and sat in his seat. Emily cleared her throat and made a "come here" motion with her finger and pointed to a cushioned computer chair next to her at her desk. As he sat down, he lost his sense of sight for a moment as the intoxicating aura of Emily's perfume overtook him. He braced himself for what was about to transpire.

A/N: Okay. End of chapter two. I sincerely apologize if you find the music discussions jarring, but this willbe used to further the relationship and sexual tension between Fearless and Emily later on. Also, as they're in a Philosphy class, I felt it an interesting way to merge the two subjects in a way that will drive the plot. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Until next time, please read and review!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Greetings Revengers! Time for chapter three of Contempt of Knowledge! I would appreciate a short review after you read.

As the few seconds of silence loomed, Fearless kept his eyes on Emily, whose own glance was both dreamy and aware. "So, Fearless,I wanted to ask you about your taste in music and the weight of its thematic elements," She turned her head slightly as she shuffled a stack of papers; her eyes grew harder as the moments past. which sent a chill down her pupil's spine. "Revenge is a forbidden temptation to most. Only an unlucky few are ever able to feel the seemingly awesome power of holding someone else's destiny in their hands."

Fearless swallowed. He suddenly found his mouth and throat dry. "I'm not going to mince words, I'm more than impressed with you." Emily's words rang in his ears instantly. "I appreciate that Professor Emily." Fearless nodded, staring back at the older woman with curiosity. "I'm going to ask you a question. It's fine if you don't want to answer; I won't hold it against you," Emily shot him a flirty wink before clearing her throat softly, "Do you think I'm beautiful?" Her slow breathing made the atmosphere thick.

Fearless cocked his head to the right and thought for a moment, trying to choose his words carefully. He looked at his superior with as tender a gaze as he felt was acceptable and articulated his words slowly, "I will admit, as candid and honest as I can, that you are really beautiful. Breathtakingly hot even!" He laughed nervously. Emily smiled, showing off her pearly white teeth, "Thank you 's really sweet of you." She leaned forward and brought her lips softly to his cheek.

All five of his senses spun out of control for several minutes as he tried to collect his thoughts. Emily giggled at the sight of Fearless touching his cheek and gasping softly as he discovered red lipstick on his finger. "I'm not sure about this. I mean, wouldn't there be severe repercussions for you if anyone found out?" His eyes widened. He wasn't sure why he cared for her, but somehow he felt an instant connection to this woman.

Emily smirked, "You're eighteen aren't you?" Fearless nodded, "Nineteen actually." Her nose wrinkled as she smiled, "Then there shouldn't be any problems," She touched his hand and stroked it with her thumb, "I'll give you tonight to think it over. You don't see me for class until Thursday so it'll be off the record; come and see me tomorrow for lunch and we'll talk more." As Fearless stood up and walked shakily to the door, butterflies swarmed angrily in his stomach. He felt nauseous. "Okay, good. I'll see you here tomorrow then." He was out of the door in a flash.

The weather outside was sunny and clear. The wind tried to comfort Fearless, whose head ached now from the questions floating in his head. Why is Emily so interested in me? Should I pursue this relationship? Would I then be the professor's pet? He sat down on a bench in the campus' courtyard. "What do I do?" He wondered aloud.

"You're thinking about her, aren't you?" Fearless jumped in surprise at the sudden intrusion of his thoughts. He turned next to him and saw a taller woman dressed in a red dress. "What's it to ya?" Fearless blurted aggressively though he hadn't intended to sound so direct.

"Emily Thorne is an employee of this establishment. I'm her boss. Department Chair and main investor Victoria Grayson," The harshness in her stare made Fearless uncomfortable, "There is nothing, legally, that I could do if you should choose to court Emily, but professionally I would be inclined to dismiss her and expel you from furthering your education here if," Her stare hardened as she emphasized the word, "If said relationship were to happen on campus. Obviously if you were to see each other outside of these premises, I wouldn't be the wiser. Do you understand?"

Fearless shook his head. "I completely understand. Though I don't know what I'm going to do." He sighed Victoria brought her fingers to his chin, lifting his head so they were eye to eye, "Some things are worth thinking through. Good luck." Victoria was gone as quickly as she had appeared. Fearless scratched his head. He headed to his dorm. This was not going to be an easy decision.

A/N: End of chapter Three. What do you think of the story so far? What's your take on Emily's ballsy question and Fearless' gutsy responses. What do you think his choice will be? Please leave a short review. Until next time!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: After careful consideration, I'm preparing to write this chapter directly after posting the previous one. I'm working on a stream of consciousness thread so I basically let me fingers shape the story. I feel most fiction works best that way. With that said, I present Chapter Four of Contempt of Knowledge! Please remember to leave a short review after reading!

Fearless twitched hopelessly in his sleep. Images of Emily's naked body painted quite the erotic picture in his subconscious. He woke at five in the morning, feeling more exhausted than he had been the night before. Seeing as I've got a few hours to kill, he thought as he sat down at his desk, I'm going to channel these thoughts in the only way I know how. He took out a stack of notebook paper and turned to the canvas he had set up in the corner of the room. He wasn't an artist by trade, nor was he particularly interested in the art of painting itself, but when the proper inspiration struck, his hands seemed to develop the motion on their own.

He sat in place for fifteen minutes, eyes closed and lost in thought. The smell of her hair, the taste of her lips, the sounds of pleasure she made. Her. Fearless opened his eyes and stared at the pen in his hand with clarity. Slowly he began to write, the words coming from the confused soul that dwelled within him.

Dear Emily,

I've thought long and hard about your question and I'm still unsure as to what my heart wants. I don't know what to do. My only option, the only one that I consider logical, is to try this out and see what comes of it. You'll find this note taped to your door. Please come to the courtyard if you want to talk. I hope you're able to make sense of this situation.

See ya soon, Fearless

Fearless stared at the note. After a while, he spun back to the canvas. He felt his hands reach for the paint. In a matter of an hour his hands had stopped moving. They had moved slowly and gracefully across the white surface. He stared at the result with his mouth to the floor. He couldn't believe his eyes.

It wasn't until dusk that Emily had read the note. She had stared at it for long stretches at a time while slowly unfolding it. She got halfway through the text before setting out for the courtyard. She found Fearless sitting at a bench, holding a medium canvas in hand.

"Hey you," she frowned as she sat next to Fearless, noting his ironclad concentration and blank expression. "Are you okay?" Emily asked

Fearless said not a single word, and simply handed the canvas over to her. Emily gasped as she stared at the image. She stood frozen in nude form, her breasts perfectly proportioned; every detail was dead on, down to the absence of hair between her legs. She was stunned at the imagery presented. Her face was seamlessly divided into four sections, a tree sat above her right eye, a bright sun above her left, a brown leaf on the right side of her jawline, and a snowflake opposite it. A heart set in flame with a chain around it was anatomically correct.

"I love it." She said at last, a genuine sense of appreciation permeated her voice. "You're really imaginative. What's it mean?" She shifted her gaze to Fearless, who finally broke his silence. "How this came to be," he pointed to the painting, "I'm not exactly sure. I don't have an artistic bone in my body but somehow I was able to produce this just be thinking about you. The nature symbols," he pointed to her face, "are meant to represent a change of heart, much like the change of seasons."

Emily interrupted, "Another Dream Theater reference."

"Exactly. As is the flaming heart. But it's also how I feel about you. I can't put my finger on why, but I like you a lot." His hand found hers and their fingers intertwined. "So I take it you're interested?" Emily asked didn't response, he simply brought his lips to hers. He then remembered Victoria's words, If this relationship should happen on campus. He suddenly felt paranoid. "No. We shouldn't do this here." Emily looked at him quizzically. "Fine," she unzipped her purse and pulled out a note pad and a pen, "here's my address. Come by at nine." She kissed him again before disappearing. Fearless sat back and looked up at the sky. "If I seem superhuman, I've been misunderstood." He closed his eyes and felt the wind in his ears.

A/N: End of Chapter Four. I know the last line may seem out of place, but it will make sense with later chapters. Please review! Until next time!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hello everyone. Here's the next chapter of Contempt of Knowledge. Please review after reading and enjoy!

Fearless stepped out into the night at eight thirty, music player in tow. He had changed his shirt to reflect the music that flowed through his brain, a black T-shirt that bore the Metallica label, that matched the cover art of the album Fearless was playing at that moment; a blindfolded Lady Liberty towered over ... And Justice For All. He strolled along casually, humming and head banging along to the music. The walk didn't seem like it lasted for more than ten minutes before Fearless looked up and found himself staring at a beautiful structure.

He looked at the slip of paper in his hand and shrugged his shoulders. "This matches the address." he whispered to himself. Before turning to knock on the door, he felt a chill crawl up his back. He slowly turned to his right and gasped audibly when he realized why he felt frozen to the porch. Across the way, Fearless noticed an imposing balcony is the distance, from which, he assumed, that the entirety of this house could be seen.

He shook off the paranoid emotion with a laugh before finally tapping rhythmically on the elegant glass door. He could see a blurry depiction of what awaited him inside. His breathing slowed as did he heart rate as the seconds past. It felt like an eternity before the door opened and he was yanked abruptly inside, hands covering his eyes and mouth.

Fearless panicked briefly and struggled against the hold until he heard the soft voice of the person holding him. "Shhh, it's me," It was Emily's voice. Fearless breathed a sigh of relief as she released him and immediately moved to close the curtains. "You don't want Victoria to find out you're here." Emily turned towards him and hugged him warmly. "Wait, you're telling me that it's possible that Victoria could find me here?" He choked on the last two words.

"It's more than possible," Emily sighed releasing him, "She lives in that mansion over there." She pointed in the direction of the balcony. Fearless sighed lightly, "We'll have to be careful then." He lost his train of thought suddenly when he took in Emily's appearance. She was dressed in what looked to be a formal white dress, almost akin to a wedding dress. Her breasts taunted him still. "Well, what shall we do now?" Fearless stripped himself of his music. "Come with me." Emily said with a giggle.

Victoria stared down at the beach house with unwavering focus. She had a feeling her words had fell on deaf ears. "I know you're there," she said dryly as she opened the double doors to the balcony, "Only a matter of time before I catch you in the act." Her glare intensified on the window level with the balcony. Emily's bedroom.

Fearless laughed as Emily led him by the hand through the house. Along the way she picked up two wine glasses from the kitchen. Her grip grew tighter every second. Fearless opened his mouth to protest when she let go and opened the door to a large room with a window on the opposite wall. "Have a seat on the bed." Emily smirked and exited the room. Fearless followed her instruction, electing to sit near the head of the Queen sized bed just barely in view of the window.

Victoria's eyes widened, "Already? Impressive."

When Emily returned, she was covered by a robe that extended to her ankles. She lit candles and shuffled around, switching on her own music which seemed to echo from the ceiling. "Surround Sound, and Pink Floyd. High Hopes, nice." He took in the sounds of chiming bells. "Nothing better to further one's philosophical path." She laid down next to me and pulled me to her, cradling her softly as if I were a child who needed comforting after a nightmare. "Listen to the atmosphere, the weeping guitar lines, the emotional lyrics. What do you think of when you hear it?" She sank her head into the velvet covered pillow and waited.

"Disillusion, a relationship that can no longer be. The bell that tolls for everyone at one point or another, the sound of heartbreak." Fearless spoke with conviction. Emily's hair tickled his nose, though he didn't laugh. He suddenly felt empty and unsure. I'm living every school boy's dream, he thought, laying here with a beautiful teacher, feels strangely serene. He closed his eyes in that moment. Hr once again found himself in throes of Ecstasy with Emily. Though he also felt himself able to separate himself from that scene and see Victoria's appalled expression turning to rage. His soul shook. He breathed in her scent, a mix of baby powder and sweat. Her moans were encouraging and invigorating. He was terrified as he saw himself being rode into the mattress as Emily's hands fondled her body.

Victoria's mouth split into an uproar of laughter as the sounds of the bed squeaking and Emily moaning, pleading for orgasmic release reached a fever pitch. Fearless watched this unfold, unable to focus on any one facet of the experience. "Please, I'm almost there." He heard Emily beg. Her animistic panting disturbed him. He took pity upon himself as Emily cried out in bliss before the roller coaster ride finally calmed.

Fearless awoke and sat straight couldn't think. He looked around the room, the speaker in the corner still elicited sounds of chirping birds and crackling fire. He chuckled. Skyrim Atmospheres, his lullaby. He tossed and turned. His eyes shot open when his noticed a new feature on his nightstand. A smiling portrait of Emily.

A/N: Okay everybody. How'd you make it through this one? Let me know in a review. Until next time.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hello again everyone. I hope you had fun with the last chapter (with the last piece of it having a little more intensity to it and you know... sex!) and I hope you'll enjoy this one as well! Please review after reading.

Fearless was on edge. He decided that he needed to talk openly about this to someone with no bias. He found the name of the campus therapist, Mr. Jack Porter.

"My dreams aren't making sense." Fearless explained as he sat in front of the therapist's desk.

Jack held a pen in between his lips, humming periodically at Fearless' sentences. "Well, Fearless, I'd like to know a little bit more about these weird dreams you're having." Fearless shook his head, "No way Doc. This is something I can't just openly talk about with anyone." He fidgeted as he came eye to eye with Emily's face on the wall. Though every staff member that worked at the school was present on the wall, it still made him uncomfortable.

Jack caught onto this, "Are you sure about that man?" His tone turned casual, an attempt to normalize the environment. Fearless only nodded quickly, a nervous twitch beginning to overtake him. "I only want to help you." He assured. Fearless briefly looked towards him. Sorry Jack, I just needed to have a moment of clarity." He slowly stood up. "You know, the feelings you're having are completely natural. Emily Thorne is as fine a lady as you'll find here." Jack's words caused Fearless to return to his chair. "You listen to me. A normal "crush" doesn't involve the student imagining, dreaming about having sex with his professor while her neighbor, the Department Chair, watches gleefully. Victoria's already warned me about this. I don't know what to do."

Jack sighed as he stared Fearless down, "I wish I could help you at this point Fearless. My only advice is to see me again if things continue in this fashion." He shook Fearless' hand and suddenly he stood lost within himself again. His conscience wrestled aggressively with the images in his head. He could still smell the scent of her flesh. He groaned and walked slowly towards the building.

Scott Stapp echoed in his mind. _I'm gonna break out, I'm gonna break free. You can't stop me now._

A/N: End of this chapter. What'd you think?


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